The intent of this course is to introduce the basic concepts and findings of cognitive psychology, including the topics of perception, attention, learning, memory, language, categorization, imagery, judgment and decision-making, and problem-solving. Cognition will be discussed from the perspectives of information processing and cognitive neuroscience. Sample Syllabus
The primary objective of the class is to give students a working understanding of how research in experimental psychology is conducted. Essentially, this topic entails the path from the initial formulation of a hypothesis to the completion of a submittable manuscript. Because an understanding of this process is not easily achieved without hands-on practice, the class is conducted as a laboratory course. Sample Syllabus
“Dissolve, deconstruct, or fractionate the executive! Let a hundred idiots flourish!” (Monsell & Driver, 2000, p. 7)
This seminar focuses on executive control and some closely-related topics. Executive control is often neglected in theories of specific human behaviors but is present (sometimes lurking in the background) during most experimental tasks. The readings in this course attempt to bring executive control processes into the foreground, and examine how control can be implemented without resorting to a homunculus, an intelligent agent scheduling cognitive operations to insure that the rules are followed and the goals are achieved. Sample Syllabus
This seminar will focus on motor control, providing a survey of the field that balances seminal and contemporary papers. Motor control is a fundamental neglected in theories of specific human behaviors but is present, sometimes lurking in the background, during most experimental tasks. The seminar takes a "greatest hits" approach the field, so as to introduce student to a wide range of topics and papers. Topics include: action represention, motor sequence learning, interactions between perception and action, and models of cerebellar function. Sample Syllabus.